Guru Arjun&#8217;s Martyrdom

Below is an European account of Guru Arjun's Martyrdom.
I have taken it from 'Early European Accounts of the Sikhs' by Dr Ganda
Singh.
From Father Jerome Xavier's letter, September 25, 1606

Introductory NoteThere is only one solitary reference to the Sikh
Gurus known to exist in the records of the contemporary European writers,
and that is about Guru Arjun's death. It is to be found in a Portugese
letter written from Lahore on September 25, 1606, by the well-known jesuit
Father Jerome Xavier to the provincial at Goa. The substance of it is
reproduced by Father Fernao Gurreiro, S.J., in his Relacao Annual das
Coisas que Fizeram os Padres da Compenhia de Jesus nas partes da India
Oriental, printed at Lisbon in Portugal in 1609 (New Edition, 3 Vols,
Coimbra-Lisbon, 1930-42).
While describing the flight of the rebellious prince Khusru, son of Emperor
Jahangir, from Agra to the Panjab, Fr. Xavier mentioned towards the end
of his letter the arrest and death of Guru Arjun. An English translation
of the relevant portion of the letter is given by Mr John D'Silva in his
article, The Rebellion of Prince Khusro according to Jesuit sources, published
in the Journal of Indian History, Volume V, 1927, p. 278; also in C.H.
Payne's Jahangir and the Jesuits (The Broadway travellers Series), pp.
11-12.

Fr. Xavier's account appears to be based on second-hand information regarding
the details of tortures to which Guru Arjun was subjected. There is no
indication in the letter that Fr. Xavier knew the Guru personally or that
he had seen him during his imprisonment at Lahore or that he was an eye-witness
of what he has recorded in his letter. My only apology for reproducing
the relevant portion of the letter is that it is the earliest account
written by a contemporary European, and that when read along with Emperor
Jahangir's own account of the motives behind the persecution and death
of Guru Arjun, as given in the Emperor's autobiography, the tuzk-i-Jahangiri,
together with the present editor's notes, it would help students of history
to arrive at conclusions not far from truth.

According to the Emperor's memoirs, Guru Arjun's teachings had so captivated
the hearts of many Hindus and Muslims that they called him Guru (became
his disciples) and expressed full faith in him. The Emperor did not like
this. It is true that he was not a religious bigot, but, for political
reasons, he had in the beginning of his reign to play the role of a fanatic
to win the sympathies of the bigoted muslim divines, the mullahs, who
were opposed to the broad and open-minded religious policy of his father,
Akbar the Great. He had, therefore, evidently to exhibit his zeal for
Islam as interpreted and practised by the law-givers, promised to uphold
Islam, when he came to the throne and suppress all those who preached
un-Islamic or non-Islamic creeds. Against Sikhism, the Emperor was deeply
prejudiced. There is no doubt about it. And it was this religious prejudice
that was mainly responsible for the persecution and death of Guru Arjun.
The visit of the rebellious prince Khusru to the Guru's headquarters at
Goindwal during his flight to the Punjab only afforded an opportunity
for his arrest. The Emperor writes in the Tuzk:

"In Goindwal, which is situated on the Bank of the river Biyah (Beas),
there lived a Hindu, named Arjun in the garb of Pir and Shaikh, so much
so that having captivated many simple-hearted Hindus, nay even foolish
and stupid Muslims, by his ways and manners, he had noised himself about
as a religious and worldly leader. They called him Guru, and from all
directions fools and fool-worshippers were attracted towards him and expressed
full faith in him. For three or four generations they had kept this shop
warm. For years the thought had been presenting itself to me that either
I should put an end to this false traffic or he should be brought into
the fold of Islam.

"At last when Khusrau passed along this road, this insignificant
fellow made up his mind to wait upon him. Khusrau happened to halt at
the place where he was. He (Guru Arjun) came and saw him, and conveyed
some preconceived things to him and made on his forehead a finger-mark
in saffron, which the Hindus in their terminology call qashqa (tika) and
is considered propitious. When this came to the ears of our majesty, and
I fully knew his heresies, I ordered that he should be brought into my
presence, and having handed over his houses, dwelling places and children
to Murtaza Khan, and having confiscated his property, I ordered that he
should be put to death with tortures.

"There were two other persons, Rajoo and Amba by name. They led a
life of tyranny and oppression under the shadow of Daulat Khan khwaja-sera's
protection. During the few days when Khusrau was near Lahore, they committed
depradations. I ordered that Rajoo be hanged and that a fine be leived
on Amba because he was known to be a rich man. One lakh and fifteen thousand
rupees were received from him. This amount I ordered to be spent upon
artillery and for charitable purposes."

From the above it is clear that long before the rebellion of his son,
Emperor Jahagir had been incensed against Guru Arjun on account of his
increasing religious influence amongst the Hindus and Muslims. And, therefore,
he was for years (muddat-ha, for a long time) thinking of either putting
an end to his religious preachings, which he contempuously calls 'false
traffic' (dukan-i-batal), or making a Mussalman of him. It is of great
historical significance to note that no report was made to the Emperor
of the visit of Khusrau to Guru Arjun on the spot at Goindwal, when the
Emperor crossed the river at its ferry, nor did anything on the subject
'come to his ears' for about a month after his departure from Goindwal,
during which period the prince had been arrested and made prisoner and
a large number of his followers had been impaled, and both of his accomplices
Hasan Beg and Abdur Rahim had been inclosed and sewed up in the raw hides
of a cow and a Donkey. It was only on the eve of the Emperor's departure
from Lahore that the report of the alleged complicity of Guru Arjun in
the rebellion was made to the Emperor. This throws a doubt on the truth
of the report. If Khusrau had actually met the Guru and had been blessed
by him, it would certainly have been reported to the Emperor on the spot
at Goindwal or in its neighbourhood where it could have been easily verified,
and the Guru would have been carried a prisoner to Lahore with him.

The author of the Mahma Parkash tells us that the Guru was then at Tarn
Taran and not at Goindwal. Khusru could not have, therefore, met him.
No wonder the whole story might have been an imaginary concoction by the
Guru's traducers with a view to entangling him in the rebellion which
had brought such severe punishments on Khusru and his friends and companions.
Jahangir, apparently, found in this concocted report a long-looked-for
opportunity for putting an end to the 'false traffic', that is, the religious
activities of Guru Arjun, and, without any investigation whatever, he
ordered him to be tortured to death.

Muhsin Fani, the author of the Dabistan-i-mazahib says that a heavy fine
was imposed on the Guru who was unable to pay it. He was, therefore, imprisoned
at Lahore where he died from the heat of the sun, the severity of the
summer and the tortures of the bailiffs. But Jahangir makes no mention
of any fine imposed on the Guru. He only mentions the death sentence passed
against him. Apparently the fine of two lakhs of rupees demanded from
Amba gave currency to the wrongful impression amongst the people who were
Muhsin Fani's sources of information. Might be, that the non-payment of
the so-called fine by the Guru had been advertised by his enemies to explain
away the cause of his death.

When the prince [Khusru, son of Emperor Jahangir] was fleeing from Agra,
on that road (1) there was a pagan (2) called the guru, who was considered
among the pagans like our pope. He was supposed to be a holy man and honoured
as such. And on account of his dignity and reputation, the prince visited
him desirous of hearing a good prophecy from him. The Guru congratulated
him for assuming sovereignty (3) and applied three marks on his forehead
(4). Although the Guru was a heathen, and the prince a Mussulman, yet
he was glad in putting on the prince's forehead that pagan sign as a mark
of good success in his enterprise, taking the prince as a son of a pagan
mother (5). The prince received this sign on account of the wide reputation
of the sanctity of the guru. The King came to know of this. Keeping the
prince as a prisoner, he ordered the Guru to be brought before him and
imprisoned him also.

Some pagans begged the King to release him, as he was
their saint. At last it was settled that he should pay a fine of 100,000
cruzados (6). This was done at the request of a rich pagan (7) who remained
as a surety for him. He thought that the King might remit the fine or
the saint might pay, or that he might borrow that amount, but in this
affair the rich man was disappointed. He brought what 'his pope' had in
his house, including the household furniture, also the clothes of his
wife and children, and finding that all he had was not enough to cover
up the fine, since the pagans have no respect to their pope or their father,
besides depriving him of all his money, he tormented the saint with new
insults every day. The poor saint even received kicks on his face on many
occasions and was prevented from eating till he had paid more money.

The rich man did not believe that he had no money, though he had absolutely
nothing and no one was even willing to give him. Thus having suffered
so many injuries, pain and insults, given by the same that were adoring
him, the poor Guru died.

The surety-giver wanted to escape but was made a prisoner and killed after
all his possessions had been confiscated (7).
1. At Goindwal, on the bank of the river Beas, in the present district
of Amritsar, Panjab.
2. Guru Arjun, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs.
3. This is apparently based on hearsay, as Fr. Xavier never saw or met
the Guru either at Goindwal or at Lahore.
That the Guru congratulated Khusru for assuming sovereignty is not borne
out by any other authority.
According to Macauliffe (Sikh Religion, iii. 85), Khusrau visited the
Guru at Tarn Taran and the latter 'gave him five thousand rupees to defray
his expenses to Kabul'. On being questioned by the Emperor on this point,
the Guru is said to have replied: ' I regard all people, whether Hindu
or Musulman, rich or poor, friend or foe, without love or hate; and it
is on this account that I gave thy son some money for his journey and
not because he was in opposition to thee. If I had not assisted him in
this forlorn condition, and so shown some regard for the kindness of thy
father, the Emperor Akbar, to myself, all men would have despised me for
my heartlessness and ingratitude, or they would say that I was afraid
of thee. This would have been unworthy of a follower of Guru Nanak, the
world's Guru'. (Ibid, iii. 91).
4. This again is incorrect and based on wrong information. The Sikh Gurus
never applied marks on the forehead of any one except of those whom they
nominated as their successors.
5. Khusru's mother, Man Bai, was the daughter of Raja Bhagwan Das of Amber
(Jaipur). (Tod, Annals, ii. 286).
6. As stated in the introductory Note, there is no mention in Jahangir's
Tuzk of any fine having been imposed by him on Guru Arjun. The fine was,
in fact, imposed on one Amba from whom Rs. 1,15,000 were received and
ordered to be spent on artillery and for charity.
7. Who this rich 'pagan' was is not known to history. Sikh histories mention
the name of one Chandu of Lahore having been responsible for the tortures

Inflicted upon the Guru. Whether he was the surety-giver mentioned by
Fr. Xavier is not certain. This man, according to the Padre's letter,
wanted to escape after the Guru's death, 'but was made a prisoner and
killed.' This must have happened immediately after the Guru's death or
within four months, at any rate before September 25, 1606, the date of
Fr. Xavier's letter. Chandu, however, is said to have met almost a simialr
fate, but after the release of Guru Hargobind, son of Guru Arjun, from
the fort of Gwalior where he was kept as a prisoner for at least twelve
months. According to Muhsin Fani's dabistan-i-Mazahib Guru Hargobind remained
there for twelve years. This is, however, incorrect. The exact date has
yet to be determined.

JavaScript is currently disabled.Please enable it for a better experience of Jumi.

Donate to AllAboutSikhs.com

Your donations will keep Allaboutsikhs.com in Chardikala

Subscription Options

JavaScript is currently disabled.Please enable it for a better experience of Jumi.

WorldGurudwaras.com

Worldgurudwaras.com will strive to be most comprehensive directory of Historical Gurudwaras and Non Historical Gurudwaras around the world.
The etymology of the term 'gurdwara' is from the words 'Gur (ਗੁਰ)' (a reference to the Sikh Gurus) and 'Dwara (ਦੁਆਰਾ)' (gateway in Gurmukhi), together meaning 'the gateway through which the Guru could be reached'. Thereafter, all Sikh places of worship came to be known as gurdwaras.

TheSikhEncyclopedia.com

Encyclopedias encapsulate accurate information in a given area of knowledge and have indispensable in an age which the volume and rapidity of social change are making inaccessible much that outside one's immediate domain of concentration.At the time when Sikhism is attracting world wide notice, an online reference work embracing all essential facets of this vibrant faithis a singular contribution to the world of knowledge. TheSikhEncyclopedia.com